IC packaging is one of the final stages involved in the fabrication of IC devices. During IC packaging, one or more IC chips are mounted on a package substrate, connected to electrical contacts, and then coated with an encapsulation material comprising an electrical insulator such as epoxy or silicone molding compound. The resulting structure, commonly known as an “IC package,” may then be mounted onto a printed circuit board (PCB) and/or connected to other electrical components. In most IC packages, the IC chip is completely covered by the encapsulation material, while the electrical contacts are at least partially exposed so that they can be connected to other electrical components.
IC chips generate a great deal of heat during normal operation. As the speed of the IC chips has increased, so too has the amount of heat generated by them. It is desirable to dissipate this heat from an IC package in an efficient manner.